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Sony’s The ColleXion headphones are meant to be the ultimate 1000X model, and also the most expensive so there was a lot of hype around them. But after really putting them through their paces, some of the hype is justified, but there are areas in which the ColleXion can be better. We’re going to talk about that, as well as compare them to some of the most popular headphones like Sony’s WH-1000XM6, AirPods Max 2, Bose QC Ultra Gen 2, and the Sennheiser Momentum 5.

Design

The internals have been souped up with the latest Integrated V3 processor with DSEE Ultimate, which is Sony’s best audio upscaler that not only patches in missing high frequency detail from compressed music, it also cleans it up and improves track separation, so for example, percussions sound tighter and more tactile. We now also have a dedicated button to swap between different spatial audio modes.

But what really strikes me about them is their build quality. They feel more solid than your regular 1000X headphones, from the all-metal headband, the metallic buttons and ports, and the earcups having a slimmer profile with solid shielding for the drivers and components instead of the usual loose fabric.

What’s also worth mentioning is that although the earcups are slimmer, they’re actually more spacious inside, so I don’t feel my ears pressing against the components as much.

That said, the earcups cannot fold inwards into a smaller form for better portability. I do like the case though, it’s slim and has a handle, something I wish Apple would do.

I did face one issue with the ColleXion’s multipoint pairing. When I’m paired to my PC and my iPhone at the same time, device switching is not seamless. Sometimes, on my iPhone’s music app, the play button becomes unresponsive. And sometimes, other apps don’t have audio, even though audio can still play in the music app. I haven't experienced anything like this before, but maybe it’s something that can be fixed in a future firmware update.

Microphone Quality

In terms of microphone quality, although the AirPods Max 2 has the best voice pickup clarity In quiet conditions, the ColleXion has the best mic pickup of all of them in noisy conditions. From the background noise reduction to the voice filtering and amplification, it’s also an improvement over the WH-1000XM6, although I will say that the Bose is also pretty good. Just that it wasn’t amplifying my voice as much.

👉🏻 Have a listen to the mic quality samples

Active Noise Cancelling

In terms of active noise canceling, this is one area which the ColleXion doesn’t do as well as the WH-1000XM6. It’s a bit weaker against noises in the upper mids, and in the region below 500hz. This means you’ll hear a bit more of general everyday noises near heavy traffic, human chatter and even a noisy fan. Compared to the rest, its noise canceling is less quiet than the AirPods Max 2, Bose QC Ultra Gen 2 and WH-1000XM6, but it is stronger than the Sennheiser Momentum 5.

👉🏻 Have a listen to the ANC quality samples

Transparency Mode

As for The ColleXion’s transparency mode, it’s pretty awesome. Ambient sounds are well amplified, both near and far away sounds feel natural, and voice passthrough is clean and loud, including my own voice. Its transparency does feel a bit darker than the WH-1000XM6 and the AirPods Max 2, but brighter than the Bose QC Ultra Gen 2 and Sennheiser Momentum 5. That being said, all of these headphones are great for general awareness and face to face conversations.

Sound Quality

As for sound quality, the ColleXion is full sounding in the mids, bass is loud but well separated from the rest of the sound, and I would describe it as leaning bright and crisp in the upper mids. Its noise floor is very low so there’s that sense of darkness in the soundstage that lets the music shine brighter, and I would describe its soundstaging as enveloping, yet shallow. Right now I’m going to compare them individually to the others in terms of sound quality and which one is the better purchase.

👉🏻 Have a listen to the sound quality samples

Buy Sony The ColleXion or WH-1000XM6?

Comparing the default sound quality of the Sony ColleXion to the WH-1000XM6, the ColleXion’s track separation is cleaner, and mids feel a bit more relaxed, so vocals don’t sound as tensed up as the XM6. Actually they are very close in terms of tuning and signature, but I do think that the ColleXion sounds better.

Other reasons you might want to get the ColleXion instead is definitely the build quality, and that it’s more comfortable to wear since the earcups are more spacious, and the clamp isn’t as tight as the Mark 6 out of the box. Being able to swap listening modes on the fly is also a plus, but not essential. The main reason I would choose the Mark 6, well, aside from the price, is for better noise canceling, easily.

Check latest price:

Sony WH-1000XX - https://amzn.to/4vLVmYE
Sony WH-1000XM6 - https://amzn.to/4n6OcuL

Buy Sony The ColleXion or AirPods Max 2?

Comparing the sound quality of the Sony ColleXion to the AirPods Max 2, the ColleXion sounds much fuller and more dynamic. Bass has more gravity, depth and extension, and since its dynamic range is fuller it makes background details shine brighter and louder. On the other hand, the AirPods Max 2 sounds more clinical, so vocal separation is more distinct, laid back, and its soundstaging has a bit more air in it.

I would totally pick the Sonys because, since they’re lighter, they’re more comfortable to wear for long periods. Its mic pickup is better on non-Apple devices, and they’re also fully supported on both iOS and Android so you get all the features and settings regardless, which includes multipoint connection to non-Apple devices also, sound quality settings with a great range of EQ presets and a 10-band graphic EQ.

The AirPods Max 2 won’t have any of those things on devices that are not Apple. So there’s more flexibility if you get the Sony. That being said, aside from having better noise canceling and transparency mode performance, the AirPods Max 2 is the more seamless experience if all your devices are Apple, being able to seamlessly switch the audio and between them, as well as the super-wideband voice capture from the mics, only with Apple devices. For me, those are the main reasons to pick the Max 2 over the Sonys.

Check latest price:

Sony WH-1000XX - https://amzn.to/4vLVmYE
AirPods Max 2 - https://amzn.to/3O6r9n5

Buy Sony The ColleXion or Sennheiser Momentum 5?

Comparing the sound quality of the Sony ColleXion to the Sennheiser Momentum 5, the ColleXion sounds more forceful in the midrange. Its dynamic range is higher so subtle details in the soundstage are louder, more obvious. The Momentum 5, on the other hand, sounds more relaxed in the mids, more mellow, its soundstaging is more airy, and while its bass is a bit heavier, it’s a bit less textured and tactile than the ColleXion’s bass.

I think they both sound good in their own way, but it’s worth noting that the Sony Collexion does sound a bit louder at the same volume level. That aside, I do prefer the Sony for its better microphones, noise canceling and transparency, and although they are both Hi-Res wireless certified, it is the Sony that supports the more common Hi-Res codec, LDAC, whereas the Momentum 5 supports aptX Lossless.

Where the Sennheiser is better is in terms of battery life. At up to 57 hours with ANC, it’s almost double that of the Sony! Plus, its battery is also user replaceable, so when the battery lifespan is depleted, you can actually buy batteries from Sennheiser and replace it yourself, which saves on cost if you don’t feel like upgrading. Also, the Sennheiser supports USB-C audio, the Sony does regular 3.5mm which is decent, but it doesn’t charge the headphones at the same time.

Check latest price:

Sony WH-1000XX - https://amzn.to/4vLVmYE
Sennheiser Momentum 5 - https://amzn.to/4xBkfZ4

Buy Sony The ColleXion or Bose QC Ultra Gen 2?

Comparing the sound quality of the Sony ColleXion to the Bose QC Ultra Gen 2, they’re both very similar in terms of bass and mids signature, but the Bose sounds a bit more V-shaped, with lower mids in vocals a bit more pulled back, so the timbre sounds different. The ColleXion does sound more aggressive also, while I would describe the 2nd Gen QC Ultra as sounding a bit more relaxed and spacious.

To be honest, I prefer the sound quality of the Sony, though the Bose is also quite nice. It’s also worth mentioning that the Sony sounds about 10% louder at the same volume level.

So which one of them is better? If we are talking about performance and battery life, comfort, they are both comparable, but the Sonys are more audiophile-oriented so they support Hi-Res audio streaming, and they’ve got features like DSEE Ultimate which upscales the resolution of the sound very well.

They’re also more customizable than the Bose. So if you want more freedom to tune the headphones, the Sony's 10-band EQ is awesome, and it does have tons of other settings that aren't related to sound.

But the Bose does have better noise canceling, and I do prefer its spatial audio mode. It’s well done, not too much reverb, and head tracking works with any device and content. It also supports USB-C audio so if you want to listen wired, the headphones gets charged at the same time.

Check latest price:

Sony WH-1000XX - https://amzn.to/4vLVmYE
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen - https://amzn.to/4gH7X9d

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